Macrobiotics is somewhat flexible, in that it can be tailored to suit the specific needs of people, depending on their conditions. Someone needing to heal from disease, for example, would follow a much stricter diet (sometimes starting with little or no oil) than someone who is healthy and just wanting to reap the many benefits of macrobiotics (a person in this position might eat more fish, raw fruit or fruit desserts).
I eat this way because I thoroughly enjoy it (and now can't imagine eating any other way!), and because I believe it keeps me healthy. As many of you already know, I started eating macrobiotically after my breast cancer doctors all-but gave up on me. At the point when they told me to make my peace with God, I learned about some women who had been helped by following a macrobiotic diet. I had NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain by giving it a shot.
Within weeks of changing my diet, my health started to dramatically improve. And here I am 9 1/2 years later, at age 50, feeling healthier than I ever have. I consider myself living proof that macrobiotics works, and feel compelled to share this knowledge.
So ... in a nutshell, here's what a macrobiotic — a.k.a. plant-based diet — is about:
DOs:
Organic whole grains, vegetables, beans, sea vegetables (seaweeds), soups, some fruit, and some seafood.
DON'Ts:
Junk or highly chemicalized processed foods, dairy, animal products (and yes, this means saying no to cheese and eggs, too!) Fish is the exception, though personally I have recently decided to eliminate it from my diet because of mercury and other toxic chemicals frequently found in many types of fish.
There are always exceptions to the rule. Children and pregnant women are the exception and not my expertise. But from what I've learned from other people, practicing macrobiotics children are given eggs and other animal foods occasionally and more fruit and desserts. Pregnant women should have whatever they want and should not attempt a change of diet while pregnant. Someone like longtime macrobiotic practitioners Wendy Esko, who raised her many children this way, or Luchi Baranda from the Kushi Institute could better answer these questions on children.
While a macro diet may at first seem limited, believe or not (!), I've found over the past nine years that my diet is far more varied than when I was eating a typical American's diet.
BEYOND THE FOOD:
Macrobiotics also is about doing healthy things for your body, including eating three balanced meals a day, not eating three hours before bedtime, getting exercise, chewing your food well, eating reasonable portions, and — actually sitting down and taking your time to eat!
TO LEARN MORE:
My first book, Becoming Whole, much more thoroughly explains macrobiotics and how I got started with it, and contains many great recipes and a month-long Healing Diet menu planner.
Further, I recommend you read, study, take cooking classes! And perhaps make an appointment with a qualified macrobiotic counselor, especially if you're trying to heal from a serious illness. Becoming Whole includes a directory of macrobiotic counselors that I recommend, listed by geographic region and internationally.
Best of luck to you on your own journeys to excellent health! Love, Meg
Sarah Kelly, my niece who lives in Rhode Island, is one of the people I try to adapt my macrobiotic
recipes for when she visits. She has inspired me to look at each
recipe I post and say, "'Hmmm... how can I make this wheat & gluten
free?"
I want to tell you about Dr. H. Robert Silverstein, as I feel he's an unsung hero who has been helping patients for decades with plant-based diet and disease.
I got an e-mail from a friend Tuesday asking, "Have you seen the DVD? It's out now ... You give courage and comfort to viewers."
![Blogs By Women](http://<a href="http://www.blogsbywomen.org/" title="Blogs By Women"><img src="http://www.blogsbywomen.org/chicklet.gif" border="0"></a>){kind=link}